I don’t disagree with any of this at all, which isn’t necessarily clear from my initial post.
What I have a problem with and was intending to argue against is the prevailing idea that the Lions will now “out-tough” their opponents because MCDC such an inspiring, tough dude. The people who think the “run through a brick wall” and pre-game pump-up speech parts are important.
I’m not arguing it isn’t mental - it absolutely is. But it’s not the emotional part, which is what many of the most amped-up pro-Cambell guys are excited about. For players, getting hyped up for the game is easy. The grind of practicing right, studying right, eating right, resting right, working out right, and recovering right the other 348 days a year is where the mental differences are. And that takes thoughtful, consistent mental discipline, not emotional peaking.
I think this is related back to coaching mostly by the virtuous success feedback loop. If coaches put guys into positions to succeed, that makes the grind part easier to bear, which leads to more success. Conversely, if coaches aren’t making the right moves schematically, that can be a vicious cycle the opposite way.
I agree that the coach is the most important (only one debatably as important is a bald GM).
I agree that the “grind,” as you refer to it is important.
The emotional part of it IS the grind. It’s the difference between motivation (a pump up speech 20 mins before a game) and INSPIRATION! What inspires us is when we idnetify ourselves in living in our truth, in our mission, in something bigger than us. This matters every single day, in practice, in meetings, in drills, in film study, etc.
Coaches create culture. There will be a culture no matter what the coach does. Last year, nobody could defend the coach. The ultra-professionals just shut up and did their job, while others spoke up. The locker room wasn’t really divided, it was defeated. They all handle defeat differently, so it looks different from one guy to the next.
Talking to your guys about culture, and how everyone is great when things are going well, but who are you when shit hits the fan is what separates us. So…who are you, when we are down by 17? Who are you, when we are up by 17? Who are you as a man? Who are you as a professional? It matters how you carry yourself. It matters how you walk, talk, study, eat, interact… Everything says something about you. We will care about you, and more importantly the brotherhood. The culture is to support the brotherhood. Patricia didn’t practice anything he was talking about, whereas Campbell isn’t asking them to do anything he hasn’t already done/continues to do.
Dan’s culture IS emotional. He inspires as a man, and it is not just a tough guy speech, it is who he is as a human. People create stories with their emotions. Emotions dictate behavior. If your emotions are consistently off, you will have scattered energy, lack focus, have internal conflict, less power, etc.
It’s like this picuture. Emotions come first though. Emotions create thoughts.
Emotions are what create our stories, our feelings, our actions, and ultimately how we get down in the world.
On the one hand, I hated that we traded a first round pick, Tomlinson, for a 5th round pick. On the flip side we got a starter at CB in the 5th, Amani, out of the deal. This might not be quite right as I’m not sure as we only had 1 5th round pick, and can’t remember what happened to the other one.
the heart IS emotions. Opening to a deeper truth allows you to see where they come from and get more clarity, focus, power…Consistently. That’s when you’re emotions cease to run you, and you can use THEM as fuel.
Shanahan’s record works out to 5.8-7 while MCDC’s is 5-7. Hopefully next week it’s going to be 6-7 and we can stop talking about what a genius Kyle Shanahan is.
Its going to be tough for me to watch the details of the game. I just bought tickets to the Jets/Panthers opening game. The last time I missed watching a Lions opening game was 2000, unless you count 2008 where I gave up early and walked out.
Just to be clear…I have gamepass and I will go back and watch the game. Before I had access to gamepass and similar things I literally recorded games (on DVD and before that VHS) and re-watched them. What I was talking about was more of an emotional thing. I haven’t missed a Lions opening game LIVE since 2000…and only once in that time (2008) have I missed parts of the game. I’m hoping I will be able to stream it on my phone (I have Sunday Ticket) but there is no guarantee.
As much as I love the personality of the new coaching staff, one thing I’m hoping for and maybe hasn’t been touched on as much is the influence Sean Payton has had on Dan Campbell.
I’m hoping he brings some Payton strategy with him. I hoped when the previous staff threw around “being multiple” more than a pre-algebra class it meant we would adjust to the opponent week to week and be able to form a strategy around what the other team did worse, well that never really happened. Or if it did, it didn’t work.
I’m hoping when the new staff says they are going to have principles but otherwise will strategize around what the players do best and the other team does worse they are able to pull it off.
Aside from the kneecap and intestine eating, which I do love (ok he never said intestines), this is what I think I am most hopeful of, and which may enable us to get a couple extra wins than we expect. I do agree reasonable expectations are probably around 6-7 wins max though.
